Donnie Darko

The interactive "web experience" for the film Donnie Darko possibly enjoyed a larger audience than the film during its first release. This website perfectly reflected the film while presenting an intensely intriguing mystery all on its own. Like the old computer game Myst, the Donnie Darko game gave no clues or easy solutions. Yet it exploded in a viral popularity to rival the cult status of the film.

The Johnny Cash Project

This innovative site invites users to alter photos of the Man in Black and submit them to an ever-growing online compilation of user-generated artistic renderings

Dexter

This interactive viral marketing campaign for the Showtime series Dexter not only went viral but actually caused a panic in the UK as unsuspecting recipients of the "killer" videos mistook them for real threats. You can't get much more immersive than that.

Broken Embraces film site

This website for the film Broken Embraces presents an excellent interactive experience and has been copied by many others. This stands more as an example of this type of interactivity than as a primary source of the design movement.

Cafe Press

One of the primary innovators in interactive design, Cafe Press literally set the standard for commercial websites where users can interact with and customize selected merchandise.

Deliver Me To Hell - Real Zombies Attack

Not only did YouTube create an interactive medium for sharing videos but the full potential of creating "interactive" experiences with the videos has just begun to take root. An amazing example of this is the interactive zombie adventure video "Deliver Me To Hell" (maketing campaign for Hell Pizza, New Zealand) wherein the user gets to make choices inside the video and thereby affect its outcome. In effect, YouTube has not only defined the online video community, it has secretly laid the roots for a new interactive game engine.

eBay

Not all corporate giants started as giants. eBay is among the top success stories who started as small start-ups and grew to literally define the online user-interaction experience in selling and buying online.

Facebook

Literally the "face" of social networking. Whether it will be replaced by next year's networking flavor or not, Face book has irrevocably changed how people perceive social networks.

Google and Google Maps

As much as I hate listing giant evil corporations in this list, Google must be included and indeed, given the top slot. They may not have started as a giant evil corporation, but their impact on the web is nearly unsurpassed by any other. Even if one were to discount their search engine, Blogger, and multitude of other offerings, Google Maps alone would merit being at the top of my list. I dare say there are many people who couldn't imagine life now without Google or Google Maps.

Burger King: Subservient Chicken-submissive chicken

While not the first "interactive" website, the Burger King promotion definitely exceeded all expectations when it went viral.

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By Todd Fluhr

Todd Fluhr is a freelance writer and multimedia designer. A self-described "Shockwave Rider" of technology, culture, and creativity, he has been involved in the interactive entertainment industry since the early 90's. He hopes to find time to sleep s...

Full Bio

Todd Fluhr is a freelance writer and multimedia designer. A self-described "Shockwave Rider" of technology, culture, and creativity, he has been involved in the interactive entertainment industry since the early 90's. He hopes to find time to sleep some day.